BATON ROUGE - Just minutes before the LSU men's basketball team opened their season against ULM, head coach Matt McMahon announced that junior guard Tyrell Ward is stepping away from the team.

“Tyrell Ward and I have decided that he will be stepping away from the program to focus on his mental health," McMahon said. "I do not anticipate him returning to competition this season. We are very appreciative of his contributions to our program and we will be supporting him every step of the way moving forward.”

Ward, a 6-foot-6 guard from Washington D.C. has been a key part to McMahon's teams since he arrived in Baton Rouge.

In his sophomore campaign, Ward averaged 9.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Many fans can remember his buzzer beater shot for the Tigers' win over No. 17 Kentucky last season.